GM plans two very different plug-in electric vehicles

[Psephos]

GM hopes to develop a plug-in version of this 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line SUV hybrid as soon as 2010.
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

General Motors is working on two plug-in electric vehicles, but only one — the Saturn Vue Green Line SUV — is a hybrid.

The other plug-in, the Chevrolet Volt, is powered strictly via the electric motor, which draws its juice from on-board batteries.

Volt — still a concept and still under development — would carry a small internal combustion engine to recharge the batteries while underway, if needed, so you'd never need to worry about running down the batteries.

As envisioned, the engine would never power the car, only recharge the batteries. Chevrolet hopes the Volt could get 40 miles on a charge, enough to handle between two-thirds and three-fourths of Americans' daily commutes, according to government data.

<snip>

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-06-18-gm-hybrids_N.htm

[Lerkfish]

1. they are a little behind the curve of the tesla

http://www.teslamotors.com/index.php

[Psephos]

2. Actually, Tesla is based (in part) on GM research

GM is better at figuring things out than it is at marketing, apparently.

[Lerkfish]

3. but the range of the tesla is (supposedly) 200 miles on a charge

but the GM is saying 40 miles.

[Kolesar]

4. Tesla uses lithium ion battery technology to get the huge range

The Tesla car is an expensive, boutique product. I am sure that GM is trying to find a bigger customer base than Tesla will ever achieve.

[Lerkfish]

5. not sure that refutes any point I"ve made thus far, although an interesting point

on its own.

I agree the tesla is for the rarified audience, costing close to 100,000 . My point was that its technology seems ahead of the GM offering....which you verified.

[Kolesar]

6. You are correct...eom

[IDemo]

9. The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)

Elon Musk
Chairman of the Board, Tesla

edited for brevity:

in short, the master plan is:

1. Build sports car
2. Use that money to build an affordable car
3. Use that money to build an even more affordable car
4. While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options

Don’t tell anyone.

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/index.php?p=8&

[Kolesar]

10. Don't tell anyone.

wink wink nudge nudge

[greenman3610]

7. just to be clear, 40 miles pure electric on one charge

then the small Internal combustion engine kicks in and
charges the batteries, giving additional range of
hundreds of miles.
The average commuter, defined by GM as averaging
60 miles aday, could expect the equivalent of
150 miles per gallon.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-01-07-volt_x.htm

[Javaman]

8. then why not make it a diesel?? just imagine a biodiesel electric plugin. nt